Elite Traveler March-April 2017

elite traveler MAR/APR 2017 131

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Located on a 22-acre island in the Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives, St. Regis’s first private island resort does not disappoint. After a Bentley transfer at Malé Airport, guests take a seaplane to the island, which offers a quiet lagoon, a beach and a bit of tropical jungle. The modern aesthetic, designed by WOW Architects and Warner Wong Design, includes standouts like the Library and the Whale Bar. With its whale-shark shape, the latter is the Above left: John Jacob Astor Estate Below left: Whale Bar Below right: A bedroom in the oceanfront Caroline Astor Estate Blue Hole Pool, the Maldives’ largest heated seawater hydrotherapy pool, perfect for melting away stress and travel-related aches and pains. The yoga and meditation studio offers a wide array of classes, including anti-gravity yoga, where you are suspended from the ceiling in silk slings that offer additional support. Many people find it incredibly calming, so don’t be surprised if you nod off during savasana . There’s

also an outdoor tennis court, fitness center and water-sports center with scuba diving, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing, windsurfing and boating. The all-villa resort features 77 overwater and on-island accommodations, each with a private pool. Whether you are overwater or on-island comes down to personal preference. The overwater bungalows have endless water views and little hammocks to relax in, but they are a bit of a walk from the action in the resort. On-island villas are nestled within palm trees for privacy, each seeming to pop out of the jungle directly onto the beach. The top suite on the property is the John Jacob Astor Estate, a three-bedroom overwater villa that, at 16,500 sq ft, is the largest in the Maldives. Essentially your private compound, it boasts 24-hour dedicated butler service, its own fitness center, mini-theater, three private spa suites, a 1,000 sq ft infinity pool, two butler rooms for guests with their own staff and dedicated buggy service around the island. If you prefer to be on-island, choose the Caroline Astor Estate, an oceanfront two-bedroom villa. Nightly rate from $26,220. To book, contact Aini Zariyah, director of marketing and communications, aini.zariyah@stregis.com, +960 676 6333, stregismaldives.com

most Instagrammable spot on the island. If you’re traveling with wellness in mind, there’s plenty on offer. The Iridium Spa, which viewed from above is shaped like a lobster, has Ayurvedic treatments and doctors on-site, six private overwater treatment rooms and the